BBC axes show that helped to free Barri White and Keith Hyatt

Two years after the pair's conviction the BBC's Rough Justice programme decided the case warranted further investigation.

Reporter Mark Daly fronted the investigation and kept in regular contact with MK NEWS throughout.

This newspaper made its own files on the Manning case open to the Rough Justice team and by May 2005 the chief constable of Thames Valley Police Peter Neyroud was flooded with letters urging him to re-open the case.

The White and Hyatt families have expressed their gratitude to the Rough Justice team as well as their sadness at the BBC's recent decision to end the show.

Keith Hyatt said: "Without the Rough Justice team we wouldn't be here.

"The fact that the BBC is axing a programme that got so many people justice is disgraceful."

Mr White's mum, Sharon Shaheed, said: "It's so important that someone believes you and they're willing to put their reputations on the line for that, as Mark did for Barri."

Speaking after the appeal hearing, Rough Justice's Mark Daly said: "What's happened today shows the importance of programmes like this.

"It just wouldn't have gone here without the programme.

"It's a tragedy for people like Barri who have been wrongly imprisoned.

"It's extremely disappointing that they've axed it - people will have no-one to turn to.

"However there will be some journalists like me who will continue to ferret away and find different ways of getting it on the telly. It's just going to be much more difficult."